DOOR OPENERS
Thomas College Creates Opportunities
SAMUEL FALLA ’22 Business Administration major Samuel Falla never imagined he would intern for a skydiving company while attending Thomas College. At Vacationland Skydiving, based in Waterville, ME, Samuel spent this summer and fall learning the company ropes, including operations, financials, logistics, and customer service. “What I enjoyed most was helping hundreds of people achieve their bucket list goal of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane,” says Sam. Sam worked for Thomas College alumnus Brad Fisher ’02, owner of Vacationland Skydiving. “Working for a Thomas graduate was an eye-opening experience,” Sam adds. “Brad understood how my courses could best match my work.” Sam has worked hard to achieve his dreams. He is a Kiest-Morgan Scholar, pursuing his bachelor’s degree in an accelerated three years; honor student; and first-generation college-goer. Plus, he plans to graduate debt-free, having worked two part-time jobs throughout his time at Thomas. “Implementing what I’ve learned in the classroom at Thomas into a real-world experience has been a highlight of my internship,” he notes, “and will greatly benefit me in the long run.”
BRADLEY GRIFFIN ’18 Bradley Griffin is a Senior Cloud Engineer with Change Healthcare, where he works on the latest, most-innovative technology in his field. When Bradley was asked how Thomas has opened doors 6 THOMAS MAGAZINE FALL 2021 & ANNUAL REPORT
for him, he replied, “I used the Thomas College Guaranteed Job Placement program, and other career services, for interview preparations; career fairs to identify jobs and internships; and attended the technology summits that were held when I was there. Also, Professor Jonathan Grady helped prepare me the most for what I’m currently doing. His classes really helped me to build a great foundation for coding. And all the IT professors I had were integral in preparing me.”
CAITLIN LABBE ’21 Business Administration major Caitlin Labbe conducted her summer internship with GHM Insurance Agency in downtown Waterville. “I really got to know what working in a business is like,” Caitlin reflects. “Thomas does a great job of preparing us for life after college, but you don’t know what sitting in an office is like until you actually do it. I am very grateful for this opportunity and everything I learned.” Caitlin says she felt prepared for the role thanks to her professors, as well as the Professional and Career Development team, who helped her build a strong resume and cover letter, plus try mock interviews that helped her prepare for the real deal. Martha Wentworth, Personal Lines Manager at GHM Insurance, says that Caitlin is part of a long Thomas College tradition at the firm. “It all started with Dick Caron in the 1960s, and today we employ six Thomas alums or current students.” She adds that, “Caitlin was able to see how an insurance agency operates and learn from peers in the office. During her internship, thomas.edu
